Ruger/Polycase ARX .380 Ammo

Joined
Aug 1, 2012
Messages
3,398
Likes
820
Location
Help I'm steppin' into the twilight zone
Feedback: 1 / 0 / 0
I bought some of this Ruger ARX .380 ammo this past fall and finally got the chance to shoot it. It is by Ruger but uses the Polycase ARX bullet and I think is pretty much the same as the Polycase Interceptor in .380. Velocity is pretty good for a .380 at 1315 fps because it uses a very light 56 grain molded metal/polymer bullet.

I only shot 25 rounds but it all went fine. No jams, no FTF, no FTE, no problems of any kind. I was shooting through my Kahr CW380. It has a steep feed ramp even for a subcompact pistol so I was concerned how a non-traditionally shaped bullet would feed. 25 rounds and all fed perfectly.

Accuracy seemed quite good. I didn't do any paper targets but I was hitting the metal plates just as well if not better with the ARX as with HPR FMJ or Critical Defense XTPs. Recoil seemed a tad less than the other ammo with more normal weight bullets. Not that a .380 kicks a lot but in a very light subcompact pistol even the .380 can be a tad snappy but these were not.

I really want to try the Leheigh Extreme Penetrator but they are expensive and I can't find them locally (adding shipping online makes them even more expensive). They also have a more squared bullet face than these ARX bullets so I'm still not sure how they will feed if I ever do get my hands on some.

The Ruger ARX were $20 for a 25 round box at Kittery Trading Post in Kittery ME. I saw them locally in CT but I didn't see the price and I didn't have time to ask. So they aren't cheap but not bad for a good SD round.

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/micros/ammo/index.html


These are the Lehighs I mentioned. Much heavier all copper bullet at 90 grains, which is more normal and of course they are quite a bit slower at 950 fps. The heavier bullet may track better in the soft tissue of the target so I would probably prefer these if they feed, if I can get any and if they don't cost a mint. That said, the Ruger ARX are on shelves locally, not too expensive and feed perfectly.

http://www.lehighdefense.com/products/380-auto-90gr-xtreme-penetrator-ammunition?variant=1066236304

Hope that helps anyone wondering about these weird little bullets.
 
Wife got a g42 and I picked up some polycase inceptor it try out with it. It did NOT get a long with the 42 and I was pretty shocked. FTF, FTE, no lock back etc.. Tried two different magazines and got same results. Target ammo worked fine. Kind of bummed with the reaults, guess we'll just move on to the next option.
 
Wife got a g42 and I picked up some polycase inceptor it try out with it. It did NOT get a long with the 42 and I was pretty shocked. FTF, FTE, no lock back etc.. Tried two different magazines and got same results. Target ammo worked fine. Kind of bummed with the reaults, guess we'll just move on to the next option.

That is surprising, I would think if it feeds in the smaller CW380 a G42 would feed it fine. Sorry that happened. Maybe the light bullet doesn't produce enough recoil to cycle the slide on the G42. Just a wild guess.
 
Wife got a g42 and I picked up some polycase inceptor it try out with it. It did NOT get a long with the 42 and I was pretty shocked. FTF, FTE, no lock back etc.. Tried two different magazines and got same results. Target ammo worked fine. Kind of bummed with the reaults, guess we'll just move on to the next option.

FTF and FTE have multiple meanings. Feed, fire, extract, eject? What were the malfunctions?

- - - Updated - - -

That is surprising, I would think if it feeds in the smaller CW380 a G42 would feed it fine. Sorry that happened. Maybe the light bullet doesn't produce enough recoil to cycle the slide on the G42. Just a wild guess.

^this
did anyone else try shooting it or just her?
a brand new pistol or limpwristing along w a very light bullet could under cycle the slide,
 
Failure to feed and failure to eject. My first suspicion was limp risting so I gave her a mini physics lesson at the range and showed her how the recoil spring works etc.. Didn't seem to make a difference though. She can shoot target ammo just fine but maybe the bullet weight is causing the issue or something. Would that affect failure to feed though? I should have tried it for process of elimination but didn't think to.
 
Back
Top Bottom